Waiting Game A Grey Story
by lynnmovielover
Summary: This story focuses on the character of Charles Grey.  It isn't set at any particular point during the timeline of the show except sometime before the death of Hector Williams.  It involves a mission which takes place around the Demilitarized Zone in Korea
1. Chapter 1

"No, no, no," Sara Franklin yelled. "No more military here." Five men covered in green and yellow camouflage carrying guns and other means of destruction were getting out of the army truck that had pulled into her village moments ago. She intercepted the one who seemed to be the leader as he headed toward the village elders.

"I don't know who you people are, but I made it clear the last time that there would be no more military welcome here. Your presence is putting these people at risk."

The leader was a very tall and muscular African American man, but Sara wasn't about to be intimidated by his size even when he looked down at her and calmly said, "Mam, it's your village's proximity to the North Korean border that puts you at risk, not us. We will be in and out before you know it." He turned his back toward her and continued helping his men unload the truck. She had been dismissed.

Fuming was getting her nowhere. Just as she decided to confront the leader again, Chi Fung came up beside her and gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Stop," said the village elder in Korean. "You are being rude to our guests. Offer them food and invite them to spend the night."

By now, most of the villagers had heard Sara yelling and were gathering in the middle of the village to see what was going on. Usually she appreciated their passive nature, but she just didn't understand why the people of the village couldn't see the danger that American military could bring down on them.

"We can't have them here…" she started, but the frail old man who was a father figure to all those in the village put both hands on her arms and turned her around toward the men.

"Go, invite them to sit with us and eat," he said firmly.

Throwing up her hands, she reluctantly stomped like a petulant child to the truck.

"Fiery little thing isn't she?" said Hector Williams, an African American with the heart of a warrior and the soul of a healer, as he unloaded the pack he would have to carry across the border on his back.

As he pulled his own pack off the truck, Bob Brown said, "Oh, you know these missionary types. They take their work pretty seriously, so they can be kind of touchy." Bob looked like he came right out of an Ivy League school, but his constitution was that of a hardened veteran.

Mack Gerhardt, second in command, was inspecting the contents of his pack to make sure he had included at least two knives along with his pistol, medical supplies and food. Their trip into North Korea was going to be an arduous one. "Well, she can be touchy with me any way she wants," he said with a little southern twang in his voice. "Her picture in our briefing didn't do her justice, did it Betty Blue?"

Betty Blue was Charles Grey's code sign. For safety reasons, these men would all have to use code signs until they finished their mission.

Charlie remembered the briefing that they'd had back at Fort Griffith. Colonel Ryan, their commander, had told them that the female missionary living in the village was hostile toward the military, but he still thought, if push came to shove, she would be cooperative and help them achieve their mission objectives. Charlie did remember her picture; long blonde hair, blue eyes, pretty face, nice legs. Mack was right. Her picture didn't do her justice.

"Dude, I've got a 5x7 in my wallet," Charlie joked as he drug his pack off the truck.

"Cool Breeze, secure the packs," ordered Jonas Blane, leader of this special forces team simply called "The Unit."

"Consider it done, Snake Doc," said Bob whose call sign was Cool Breeze.

"The villagers have offered us food and a place to rest before we head north. I suggest we take them up on their offer."

"I bet the little spit fire didn't like that," injected Mack.

Jonas replied, "She was none to happy, especially since she was the one who had to relay their offer." He laughed, but then added, "According to her background info., she is not only fluent in Korean, but she also understands all of the local dialects. We may need her on our side before we're finished here. Who wants to have a talk with her about her attitude regarding the military?"

The villagers were simple people dressed in a mixture of traditional and modern clothes all worn from heavy use. The housing styles were just as mixed as the clothing. Even though their resources were meager, the villagers set out a spread of food that would have fed an army of many more than five men. Outside in the middle of the village, rickety tables were set up with odd and end chairs of all sizes. Bowls and utensils also came in a variety of patterns and shapes. Sara couldn't stand to watch so much of the rice, beans, and barley that they had grown and harvested being wasted on a group of military men who would hardly appreciate it.

She started mumbling to herself, "Idiots, don't care about anything. Nobody understands the problems they bring. Why here?"

Her ranting and rambling continued as she sat down in the quiet garden that marked the northern edge of the village and stared up at the stars that were sparkling in the inky black sky.

"The answers ain't up there," said Charlie as he came up behind her.

She sprang from her seat, "What?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just said that the answers you're looking for ain't up there." He sat down next to her and pointed to the night sky.

She sat back on the rock and leaned up against a tree. "How would you know?"

"Never found any there before."

She ignored his answer and said, "So you've been sent as peacemaker?"

"I volunteered."

"Oh, a martyr, then?" she quipped. "And you didn't even bring any weapons."

His only reply was a smile framed with dimples which tugged at her insides. Curly dark hair, close cropped beard, just a bit taller than she was, all those things she'd noticed before when he was unloading the truck, but now she saw his eyes, dark, expressive. They held promises and secrets which drew her to him even more than his dimpled smile. Oh, no, Sara, she thought to herself. Keep your distance from this one.

"So which one are you: Dirty Dunker, Hammer Heart, or maybe Snake Oil?"

With a little chuckle, he said, "I think you mean Dirt Diver, Hammerhead, or Snake Doc." He didn't tell her that those were Mack's, Hector's, and Jonas's code signs. "I'm Betty Blue."

"Are these names for grown-ups?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she said, "I can't call you Betty, unless you've had a sex change operation that doesn't show, so what about Blue?"

He grinned, "Blue it is."

He had lied to her. He hadn't volunteered. Hell, he hadn't even wanted to talk to her. She wasn't his type, but Jonas had ordered him to get her cooperation, so he was doing his best to win her over. She didn't seem to mind his attention. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying it. In Colonel Ryan's briefing, he'd said that she had been living in this village for seven years. Most of the men in the village were older, so she was probably happy to have the attention of a male her own age. He would use this and whatever means necessary to complete this part of the mission. For him, though, there could be no distractions. Just like all their missions, this one was too important.

"You probably haven't had much fresh water in a while," he said and offered her a drink from his canteen.

She took a sip. It wasn't cold, but it was cool, and she felt it go all the way down her throat. "Thanks, it is good."

"How did you end up here?" Charlie asked.

"I'm sure you were given some kind of background information on me. That's how it works, isn't it?" she questioned.

"I want the unpublished version."

"My parents were killed on a mission in North Africa when I was twelve. I was tossed around from family to family in our church until I was eighteen when I accepted a mission to this village."

He shook his head.

"Oh all right," she sighed, "My parents considered me little more than a nuisance that took them away from their missionary work, so naturally I hated what they did. As I got older, I realized that they were using Christianity as a price tag in exchange for aid. That's what got them killed. When I arrived here, I shared Christianity as one religion among many. The money that I was given was supposed to be used to build a Christian church, but I used all of it to hire a civil engineer to help develop an irrigation system. Because of that, I lost my mission and the funds that went with it."

"But you stayed here because these people had become your family and this village was the only stable home you'd ever known."

"You're very perceptive," she said. "What's your story, Blue? Oh, wait a minute. If you can't even tell me your real name, I don't suppose you can tell me anything about yourself, can you?"

Instead of answering her question, he said, "I admire the work you've done here."

"Thanks," she said. This was getting way too personal. Keep your distance, remember, Sara.

"It's getting late, and I suppose you have 'things' you should be doing," she said.

They got up and started walking around the outskirts of the village. Because of his training and instincts, Charlie naturally noticed entrance and exit routes, access to facilities, and places where an intruder might hide. As they walked, he was scanning the village to see if anything seemed out of place or if there were people who didn't belong.

"I can tell you that Snake Doc was right. You're too close to the border. You should encourage the villagers to move to a new location. "

Her first instinct was to be angry. Who was he to tell her what to do about village business? When she looked in his eyes; however, she could see that he was really concerned. She was touched.

"All right, I'll take it up with the elders."

"No argument, no discussion?" he asked. "What happened to the angry woman who hated the military?"

"I can agree with the military when the military makes sense," she said.

And there it was. He had done what he set out to do. He smiled and nodded.

"This is my hut," she said. He took that as an invitation to follow her in, but she flattened her hand onto his chest. "You may be charming, but not that charming, Mr. Blue." She leaned against him and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "I'm not that naïve; I understand what you were doing, but as a peacemaker, you did pretty well."

This woman was full of surprises, so he decided to give her one in return. Before she could get away, he tugged on her arm and pulled her close enough to kiss her gently on the lips. The expression on her face was priceless.

In his earpiece, Charlie heard Jonas's voice, "Betty Blue, time to get a move on."

"I've gotta go. Take care of yourself, Sara," he said and ran off to join the other men as they were putting on their packs and preparing to take off into the night.

They had been hiking at a pretty fast clip. The little known hidden tunnel that went under the demilitarized zone wasn't far now. Jonas called for a short water break and they were all sipping from their canteens on bent knees.

"So was she as hot close up as she looked from far away?" Mack asked.

"What?" Charlie stalled.

"Oh come on, Betty Blue," Bob pleaded. "Give us some details to get us through the rest of this hike."

Charlie looked to his best friend, Hector, for some support, but he just smiled. "We all saw you outside the hut," he said.

"Water break over," Jonas said. "Let's get a move on. We've got a mission to complete, gentlemen. Let's keep our minds focused on that…, but when we get home, Betty Blue can tell us all about his position on the missionary."

Charlie rolled his eyes, but the rest of them laughed. It was the last words they spoke to one another until they completed their mission.

Sara was restless. Images clouded her mind, blurry images of her and Blue in her bed… together, moving in rhythm, bodies intertwined.

She woke in a sweat. The humidity was stifling. The outside at least promised fresher air, so she wandered over to the garden where she had sat with Blue the night before. Chi Fung was there looking up at the sky as she had done only a few hours ago.

"You could not sleep," Chi Fung said in his native tongue.

"You couldn't either," Sara replied.

"You like him, do you not?"

He didn't have to tell her who he meant. When she started to protest he threw up his hands, "Do not bother to argue. I saw you talking to him. Many of us did."

"Were you offended by what you saw?" she asked.

"You misunderstand my concern. You have been with us for many years. I think it may be time for you to return to your homeland."

"You have been more of a father to me than mine ever was. This is my home. All of you are my family. There is nothing for me in America."

"Are you sure?" he asked as he got up and walked back to his home.

They'd made it through the tunnel without incident and arrived at their target on schedule. A North Korean scientist, Dr. Tak Chung-Hee, was working on a nuclear development project in one of the southernmost regions of North Korea. Jonas and Bob would kidnap the doctor. Charlie and Hector would set explosives to destroy the lab where he was working. Mack would be on over-watch to make sure everything went as planned. The timing of the mission was perfect because most of the personnel at the facility, including the guards, would be home with families celebrating the Seol-nal or Lunar New Year.

Using hand signals, Jonas sent Charlie and Hector down to the lab first to set the explosives. Each member of the team had multiple specialties. Charlie had studied physics, circuitry, and weaponry. He knew just about everything there was to know about explosives, so Hector followed his lead. Jonas and Bob went into action when they saw the doctor come outside to take a smoke. They would rendezvous back at the village where their mission had begun.

Sara was on her way back to her home from the evening meal when she saw three men enter the village from the north dragging a fourth along with them. Sara held her breath as one by one, she identified the members of the military team that had been there the night before. Two of them were missing.

"Where are Betty Blue and Hammerhead?" she whispered.

They looked at each other for a moment before Mack answered, "We separated during the mission, but they're fine. They'll just have to catch up with us."

When she looked at their faces, Sara could tell that they were worried. They didn't know where the other two were. Could they have been captured, or worse, were they already dead?

"Betty Blue is the only one of us who speaks Korean. We need for you to translate what this man says," Jonas said.

When she didn't answer, he said, "Do you understand? We need for you to translate."

She did understand. They were talking about the fourth man, the Korean man, the one they'd been dragging with them when they arrived back in the village. This man was their mission, and Blue might have been killed trying to complete it.

"Yes, yes, I understand, and I'll help you."

The commotion had woken many of the villagers. Sara told them to remain calm and return to their huts.

"Now, who is this man and, and what do you need to ask him?" she said.

By the time she had asked all of their questions and translated the answers, she figured out what their mission had been. It scared her. Dr. Tak Chung-Hee was a nuclear scientist. What damage could he have done here and around the world if he'd been allowed to stay in North Korea? She now had a better idea of what the military was trying to accomplish here.

"How long before the others come back?" she asked Jonas.

"It shouldn't be too much longer," but the pacing he'd done during the last half hour contradicted that answer.

She went back to the garden where she and Blue had sat and talked just hours before. It was nighttime again, and she couldn't help but look up at the stars. Blue was right. There were no answers there. Her Christian background kicked in at that moment, and she began to pray.

"How much further?" Hector asked.

"Mile or so," Charlie answered. "How's our time?"

"You worried we'll miss the extraction or the girl?"

"Both."

They were heading back to the village, their rendezvous point. It had taken longer than expected to set the charges, and they had almost been caught.

"There it is," Hector pointed, "just over that ridge."

As they got closer, Blue could see Sara sitting in that same damn garden. She was leaning against a tree and was asleep.

"Come on, Betty Blue," said Hector, "We don't have time for this."

"Tell Snake Doc I'll be there in a minute," Charlie said as he put down his gear and sat down next to her.

Hector pointed at his watch.

"Yea, yea," Charlie said, "a minute."

When Hector left, Charlie turned and saw that Sara was awake. She seemed so relieved. He put his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Are you all right?" she said in a shaky voice.

Instead of answering, he said, "I have to leave."

"I know."

He intended for his kiss to be a gentle good bye, and that was how it started, but when he felt its punch deep in his gut like the backlash from an explosion, he bumped up the intensity. More, damn it, he wanted more, but there wasn't time.

The truck was loaded. The doctor was settled and ready for transport to meet the troops that would be waiting for them at their plane.

"Hammerhead, where's Betty Blue?" asked Jonas.

"Ummm." He pointed in the direction of where he'd left Charlie.

"Should have known," said Jonas. "Hammerhead, go get Lover Boy, so we can leave."

She'd never been kissed like this before. One of his hands was in her hair and the other was pressed against her bare back under her shirt. Her head was spinning and her body was hypersensitive, but all too soon, it was over.

Hector cleared his throat, "Lover Boy… I mean… Betty Blue, Snake Doc says it's time to go."

Charlie looked up and saw Hector waiting for him. Sara's cheeks were an attractive shade of pink.

With gear in hand, he said, "Remember, move your village. It isn't safe here anymore. Promise me."

"I'll make sure it gets done soon," she said.

"Soon," he repeated. "Good luck, Sara."

"Be safe, Blue." She watched as the truck pulled away.

She touched her lips with her fingertips where just a few moments before he had been kissing her. "Be safe."

After a bumpy helicopter ride, they arrived at the airfield where their plane was waiting. They handed over the doctor to United Nations troops and took off for home.

It didn't take long for the questions to begin.

"Okay, give it up, Man. What happened with the girl?" asked Mack.

"You saw most of it," Charlie said as he examined some of his gear.

"What didn't we see?" said Bob.

There was a long pause before he said, "Dude, she was waiting for me."

That wasn't enough for Bob or Mack. "What do you mean, waiting?" Bob said.

He sat up. "Both of you and Jonas are so damn lucky."

Jonas interrupted, "Hey, don't bring me into this."

Charlie continued, "You have these beautiful, strong women waiting to welcome you home after every mission. There hasn't been a woman waiting up for me, worrying about me since my mother died. Sara was waiting for me."

"So why didn't you do something about it?" asked Mack.

Charlie had been wondering the same thing. He got up and walked to the seats at the back of the plane where he could be alone for a while.


	2. Chapter 2

Charlie dropped off another date at her door. What was her name again? He just couldn't stomach another meaningless night with one of these women. How many dates had he been on since he left Korea three months ago? Charlie couldn't remember a single woman he'd seen in all that time, but he was still haunted by thoughts of Sara. He smiled when he thought of how she couldn't seem to get anybody's call sign right… except his. At night when it was dark, and he was alone in bed, he couldn't get her out of his mind.

His phone began beeping. He was being called to "The Cave" in the command center where all missions were assigned.

When he arrived, Jonas was already there talking to Colonel Ryan who activated the switch locking the door and turning on the red light indicating a mission was being discussed.

"Gentlemen, take a seat," ordered Colonel Ryan. "Charlie, we have a mission that you are uniquely suited for. "

_Explosives, Charlie thought or maybe something on water. _

"We have a situation brewing in Korea," continued the colonel.

Charlie immediately tensed. "From our debrief of your mission in Korea three months ago, it seemed that you had developed a relationship with Sara Franklin, the missionary living in that village just south of the Demilitarized Zone. We have been using that village quite frequently as a launching point or rendezvous for missions in that area."

Charlie didn't like the sound of this. "Rapport might be a better word than relationship, sir," he said.

"Whatever you call it, do you think that you might be able to use it to talk her into leaving the village or at least moving the village south?"

Charlie was confused. He looked at Jonas. "I thought we had already talked her into that."

Jonas jumped in, "I thought so too, but from intel that we are getting from that region, nothing has changed with the village."

"Yes, and we also know that the North Koreans are planning some kind of military maneuver in that area. The people of this village and especially Ms. Franklin have been very helpful to our efforts there. The administration wants us to offer our assistance in getting them out of harm's way," said the colonel.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" asked Charlie.

"Talk to Ms. Franklin and the villagers. You'll have a week to convince them to move and assist them in that move."

"What if they won't go?" Charlie asked.

"Americans are being evacuated from that area. If you can't convince them to move the village, then offer Ms. Franklin passage back to the US. The administration doesn't want you to force compliance in this matter. If they don't want to go, that is their choice. Take Hector with you and brief him on the situation, wheels up in ninety minutes. That's all."

With that, the colonel left. Charlie looked at Jonas.

"You've got a week, Betty Blue. How persuasive can you be with this woman?"

"You met her, Top. What do you think?"

"She's definitely stubborn. Do whatever you have to, but get her somewhere safe."

Charlie nodded, but he didn't like this at all. What might he have to do to convince her to leave a place she considered her home?

The plane took off as scheduled. Charlie was thrilled that Hector had stayed quiet for most of the flight, but now as they were about to land, he had to make a comment.

"Are you going to pull out your club, throw her over your shoulder, and drag her back to the US by her hair?" asked Hector.

Charlie just looked at him.

"Hey, I was just asking, okay?"

"Dude, this is just another mission."

"Yes, sir, Sergeant Betty Blue, sir," Hector said as he was saluting. "I thought you'd be happy about going back."

Charlie was glad the pilot interrupted.

"We're on approach, Sergeant Grey. We'll be landing in Seoul. You have two trucks waiting for you to drive east to your destination."

"Copy that."

It was the time of the harvest and Sara had been working day and night for weeks. She was glad for the diversion, though because sleep had been impossible. Images of three months ago had been bombarding her at night. Sara wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She was coming in from the fields. It was hot. She'd come back out after the sun went down and temperatures dropped a little.

Chi Fung blocked her as she tried to enter the door of her house.

"What's wrong? Did the animals get into my house again? You have to keep them penned up," she said.

"No, no. It is something else." She looked at him curiously. "You have visitors."

"Visitors? What do you mean?" They never had visitors here…except the military. She pushed open the door and immediately understood why her mentor and friend had been so mysterious.

"Blue!" She froze where she stood.

"Sara," he replied.

She remembered him looking good, but her memories were a pale version of the reality standing in front of her.

As they just stared at each other, time ticked away until Hector cleared his throat.

"Oh, uh, Mr. Hammerhead, hello. Are your other friends here too, Dr. Diver and Snake Eyes? What was the other one's name?"

Hector couldn't help laughing, "No, Dirt Diver and Snake Doctor aren't here and neither is Cool Breeze."

"Cool Breeze. Yes, that was it." She was rambling. _Calm, she thought, be calm._ A couple of deep breaths helped, but then she started to become suspicious. "Why are you here?"

"Go on, 'Blue.' Tell her," said Hector.

Okay, so Hector, the shit, thought all of this was funny. A year ago, Charlie would have thought so too, but today, nothing was funny. He couldn't even count how many women he'd been with over the past few weeks, and none of them had made him feel the way he did right now just standing in the same room with Sara. Damn, she was beautiful. He didn't believe in love, did he? _Enough of this, he thought._ This is a mission and it was time he and Hector started thinking of it that way.

As seriously as he could, Charlie asked Sara, "Why are you still here?"

"Most of the people have gone to Seoul or Incheon to look for jobs or live with relatives, but the elders have refused to leave. This is their home, some of them since the Korean War, and they just won't go."

"Things are different now," he said. "We know that the North is sending more and more intelligence gatherers into the South. You're all in imminent danger here. You have to leave."

Sara said, "I will talk to them again, but I guarantee, they won't leave. They would rather die here than move."

"Do your best. Our job is to help you move over the next week, but after that, the US will withdraw all assistance."

She was starting to get a little angry. "Thank you so much for giving up one whole week of your time. And what about me? What if I decide to stay here too?"

Hector didn't like the way this was going. "Um, I'm going to scout around the village," he said.

"You don't know the language," Charlie said.

As he slipped out the door, he said, "I'll manage."

_Alone in her house with Blue. This truly scared her. _"I'll go talk with the elders right now," she said. "Maybe I can…"

But before she could slip out, Charlie grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked on her until she was standing right in front of him.

"I need to go talk to the elders," she said avoiding his gaze. This just couldn't happen.

"It can wait. Even if the village elders decide to stay, you have to leave. Don't be stubborn, Sara."

"Stubborn? You think the only reason I'd stay is because I'm stubborn?"

He had to convince her. "An American woman wouldn't stand a chance here."

She started to back away, but this time, he took a stronger hold around the waistband of her pants and tugged until her body was pressed up against his.

"Stop, please, Blue," she pleaded while staring at the floor. She was trembling.

"Look at me, Sara." He'd been coming on pretty strong, so he softened his tone. "Do you think I'm going to hurt you?"

Her eyes were filled with emotion. "Not the way you mean."

Then he understood. This wasn't about the mission. "Is there something you want to say to me?"

_I love you._ The thought came out of nowhere. No, she couldn't be.

He was so close. His body heat made her feel dizzy, and she got lost looking into his eyes.

"Doesn't this, you know," she pointed to him and then to herself, "the two of us, doesn't this bother you at all?"

_He was incredibly bothered_. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't this, you know, making you want to do something?"

_Hell yes. _ "What would I want to do?"

She was so frustrated with him. "Harumph," she said and tried to escape his hold, but he held on tight and laughed.

Then he kissed her. It was even better than the memory she'd relived over and over for the past three months. He moved his hands up under her shirt and pulled it over her head. She started to cover herself but he pulled her hands aside.

"You are so beautiful," he said and she believed he meant it. Clothes went everywhere, and before she knew it, he'd rolled her over onto her bed.

"I want to touch you," she said.

"I'm not stopping you." _Please touch me, the thought._

So she did. The sound he made was a cross between a moan and a growl. It excited her to know that she could do that to him. It was everything she'd hoped for and more, but suddenly the frenetic pace stopped, movement stopped, everything stopped. At first she thought it was all over, but then he rested his forehead against hers. The silence was broken only by their rapid breathing.

"Did I do something wrong?" she whispered.

He took a few more seconds getting his breathing under control. Finally he asked, "Why didn't you tell me this was your first time?"

She felt like she was being scolded and started to pull away. "I didn't want you to know."

"No, don't move," he warned. "I'm not mad. It's just that your first time should be special."

"Blue, I've lived without this for twenty-five years. You don't think this is special?"

He smiled and went about showing her just how special it could be.

She felt spent. Her muscles wouldn't respond, and she didn't care. The man who had caused such lethargy was lying on his side just watching her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Ummm."

"I promise I'll make it better for you next time."

"Blue, if you make it any better for me, I might not survive it."

He chuckled and gave her a full on smile… dimples and all. _Oh my, was her only thought._

They laid there for a while absorbing the bliss. She was admiring how well he was put together.

"If you don't stop looking at me like that," Blue said, "I'm gonna forget how sore you're going to be."

"You make my mouth water," she said. _Did she really say that out loud?_

"Woman, you are dangerous," he said and then grabbed her face and kissed her hard on the lips. "It's gonna be tough to keep my hands off you." he rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his head.

She felt dangerous and powerful, so she decided to ask him a question that she wasn't sure he would answer.

"Betty Blue, where did that name come from?"

He sighed, "Betty Blue was a sex symbol in the fifties. Most of my mates think that's where the name comes from." _How was he going to say this?_ "I guess you could say I've had a lot of dates."

_A lot of dates? That gave her pause. Of course, someone like him would have been with beautiful women all over the world. How could she ever hope to compete with that?_

"But the real reason it's my call sign is that Betty was my mother's name and blue was her favorite color."

"Was? Is she gone?"

"A long time ago."

"I'm so sorry, Blue. Were you close?"

"She was all the family I had."

Right at that moment she knew that she would take whatever time she could get with this man. She'd pay for it later because she couldn't go back to the US with him. For now, though, this was exactly what she wanted. She put her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

Suddenly she popped her head up and asked, "So, when can we do it again?

After he kissed her on the forehead and told her they would have to wait awhile, he got dressed. "I'm going to check on Hammerhead. I'll be back later."

As soon as he walked out the door, sleep overtook her.

He looked back in and saw that she was sleeping. So this was love. He realized now that he'd been in love with her since the last time he was here. It had just taken him this long to realize it. What was he going to do if she wouldn't come back to the US? He'd just have to come up with a way of convincing her. Now to go find Hector and come up with a plan of action.

This was Hector's third circuit around the village. He was starting to get a little bored.

"Sergeant Hammerhead, is this location secure?" Charlie had snuck up behind Hector and scared him just as he'd planned to do.

"Damn, Betty Blue, don't do that to a man."

He laughed, "Let's set up a watch schedule. I don't want to get caught by surprise," Charlie said. "Maybe if we get the village elders involved, they'll see how serious this situation is."

"So," Hector said, "will Sara talk with them?"

"She doesn't think they'll leave."

"What about her? What have you done to try to convince her to leave?"

Charlie's smile was sheepish.

"No!" Hector said. "When I left, you two were arguing. Bro, you do work fast."

Before Charlie even had a chance to talk about Sara, a shot out of nowhere interrupted his conversation.

"Get down," Hector, he yelled, but it was already too late.

Sara had been asleep when the shot rang out and then another. Others followed. "Blue." Sara threw on some clothes and burst out of her house. She only stopped long enough to determine the direction of the shots and then ran to the north edge of the village. When she got there, three men in North Korean uniforms were running toward a fence that lined one of the hills on the south side of the Demilitarized Zone. All of them were carrying rifles of some sort. When she turned back toward the village, she saw one man on the ground and the other leaning over him.

"No," she screamed and ran toward them.

When she got closer, she could see that the man on the ground was moving. Blue started barking orders. "Bring one of the trucks. We need to get him back to the village."

Panic wouldn't help anybody, so she forced herself to calm down. By the time she got back with the truck, she was focused on what she could do to help.

"Let's take him to my place. We can put him in the bed there," she said, but then her face got hot when she remembered what they had been doing in that bed. "What else can I do?" she croaked.

"Clean cloths, clean water," he said. "That will do for a start."

When they got the truck into the village, Sara asked Chi Fung to find cloth and water.

By the time they entered her house, Blue was already busy working on Hammerhead.

"Charlie, did you get the bullet?" Hammerhead asked.

_Charlie, she thought, Blue's real name was Charlie._

"Yes, Dr. Hammerhead." Hector smiled a little. "You passed out. I got it right after you went down. Sara, put your finger here and push as hard as you can." Blue pointed to a hole in Hector's leg. "Femoral artery, we have to stop the bleeding."

When she pushed, Hector yelled out in pain, but he said, "Keep up the pressure." She did as she was told, but she hated causing him so much discomfort.

"Gotta stitch it to stop the bleeding," Blue said. He looked right as Sara. He and Hector were both medics, so they knew that eye contact was important when working with novices. "I'm gonna cut the bullet hole open to make it bigger. When I do, I want you to put both fingers in and squeeze where I show you."

Hector yelled out again when he made the incision. "Here, put both fingers here and squeeze."

He seemed to know what he was doing, but she was so scared. There was so much blood. "Yes, very good. Don't let go." Hector stopped moving. "It's okay," Blue said, "he just passed out. I'm almost finished stitching. When I tell you, slowly let up the pressure, so I can see if the stitches are going to hold." He put in a couple more stitches. "Okay, now let go slowly. Yes, good, they seem to be holding." When he was finished with the wound, he had her clean it with the water and cloths. Then he bandaged it tightly to keep everything in place and attached an IV in Hector's arm.

"Will he be all right?" she asked.

"If I did the job the way I was supposed to, then yes, he should be fine," Blue said while he cleaned his hands with some water.

He put his hands on Hector's neck to check his pulse. It was a little weak. "He lost a lot of blood. We'll have to watch him closely. He's not going to be able to handle the ride to Seoul in a truck."

Blue took a complicated looking phone out of his bag. After a few beeps, Blue said, "Dog Patch, this is Betty Blue. I need air transportation for a fragile package – these coordinates. Package was damaged in transit. Bring usual repair kit. Betty Blue – out."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just say that he was hurt?"

"Easier? Yes. Safer? No. This is a satellite phone. If someone taps into that satellite, they can hear what we say."

Sara nodded as though she understood, but she didn't. "How did he get shot?"

"Scout troops from the North seeking intel didn't expect to find armed soldiers in your village. You've got to leave, Sara. They're coming." He had to get her out of here.

She ignored what he said. Instead she asked, "Is Charlie your real name?" When he looked at her she said, "I heard Hammerhead call you that earlier."

"Yes, Charlie is my real name, and his name is Hector."

"It's nice to meet you Charlie," she said and tried to smile, but found that one wouldn't come.

"The helicopter will be here in a couple of hours. We'll need to keep a close eye on him until then. You up to it?"

"I'll do whatever you need from me." A wave of sadness overtook her. They were leaving and wouldn't be coming back. Her time with him was over already.

"Sara, you have to come with us," Charlie said while checking Hector's bandage. "You know that I'm right about this."

"Why do you want me to come with you?" Sara asked.

"I told you, because you're not safe here. If you stay you could be killed. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"What if the tables were turned? What if you could only do the job you love here? What if Hector lived here? What if your other friends lived here? What if your mother lived here? What if your only way to protect them was to stay here? Would you leave them and come to the US with me?"

_No, he wouldn't leave. He loved her but that wasn't enough to leave everything else, everyone else behind. _

"This is different." He was feeling desperate.

"You know that it's exactly the same," she said. "Can we please not argue about this now?"

She sat down next to Blue and laid her head on his shoulder. Exhaustion took hold quickly. When she woke up, one of his strong hands was stroking her hair.

"How's Hector?" she asked sleepily.

"He's stable."

Blue's satellite phone beeped, which woke Hector up. "Chopper's twenty minutes out," Blue told Hector. Let's get you ready to travel."

He and Sara loaded Hector onto a truck that would take them to the location where the helicopter would land.

"Sara, come with us." His chest was getting tight.

"I told you. I can't." Deep anguish made her voice tremble.

"You have to. This place isn't safe. What happened to Hector should tell you that."

The helicopter landed in an open field near the camp.

Blue grabbed her hand. "Please, come with us." What could he do to make her listen? His head started to pound.

She kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you, Blue, but I can't." The cracking of her voice mirrored what was happening to her heart. She pulled away from him. "Take good care of Hector and yourself."

Hector shook her hand. "You're a good woman, Sara. Good luck."

Sara could see that Blue was torn, but they both knew what he had to do. She backed further away to make it easier. Finally, he started the truck and drove to the waiting helicopter. The pilot helped him load Hector on board. All the time, Blue was looking across the village to where Sara was standing.

The chopper took off, but Blue didn't take his eyes off Sara until the village was out of sight.

Hector grabbed Charlie's shirt and pulled his ear to his mouth and said, "Man, you are an ass."


	3. Chapter 3

It had been almost four months since Charlie and Hector left Korea. Hector's leg had healed, and his rehab was just about finished. He was ready to return to duty status. Charlie however wasn't feeling as ship shape. With each passing day, he had a growing unease about Sara and her decision to stay in Korea.

He and Hector were on their way to "The Cave" after they had gotten a message to report there. Charlie assumed they were going to be assigned a new mission.

"Come in, gentlemen. You're the last to arrive," said Colonel Ryan. Jonas pulled Hector aside and they were whispering in the corner. The colonel continued, "I will be showing you a video that has been making the rounds on the internet and through military channels. As you know, the North Koreans have been making noises about moving into South Korea."

Charlie immediately looked up and forgot about the notes he was supposed to be taking.

The colonel continued, "As a result, we have gotten the word out that Americans are no longer safe in this region and should leave. Most have followed our advice, but there were a few who chose to stay. Four months ago, Hector was injured on a mission where he and Charlie tried to get one of our US citizens out, but at that time, she chose to stay. I'm referring to the missionary, Sara Franklin."

A knot was forming in Charlie's stomach. His fears of the last few weeks were about to come to fruition.

"I want to warn you," the colonel said, "this video you are about to see is rather graphic, but it explains the situation better than I ever could."

The colonel started the video, but paid close attention to Charlie to gage his reaction. The video opened in a dark room filled with an unnatural haze. There was a woman seated on a rusty folding chair. It was too dark to clearly see much of anything about the two guards in the background that were holding guns on her, except that they were both in North Korean uniforms as was the man in front who appeared to be the leader.

The woman's head was hanging and she was facing the floor. Her legs and arms were bound and bruised. It looked like her left eye was puffy and swollen. What she was wearing looked more like a potato sack than clothes, and it was blood stained in several places. Her hair was greasy and matted down.

Charlie's eyes were wide open and looked unfocused. His hands were shaking and the colonel wondered if he would have to remove him.

The narrator began to speak. "This video is directed at the American military that has been interfering in our country's affairs as well as those who have been helping them. The woman that you see is one such person. She was living in a South Korean village posing as a missionary, but in reality, she was spying on us for the Americans. This is the price for aiding our enemies." He grabbed the woman's hair and pulled her head up so that it could be seen on camera. It was Sara.

Charlie felt like he had been punched in the gut. He fell back into his chair.

The level of tension in the room rose a thousand percent. Everyone's attention was on Charlie to see how he would handle what he was seeing.

The colonel stopped the video. "The one doing the talking is Jung-Su." He pointed to his picture and profile that had been posted on the chalkboard. "His knowledge of English and American culture is unprecedented in that part of the world. He's very high up in their intelligence organization and is known to be clever but deadly. Even his own men fear him. There is more to this video, and it gets worse. Everyone here will understand, Charlie if you want to leave."

"Play the rest," Charlie croaked.

Colonel Ryan looked at Jonas who gently nodded his head.

The video continued. "Traitor, what do you have to say for yourself?" Jung-Su said.

Sara's blood shot eyes looked right into the camera and she groaned, "Leave me here to die."

The narrator of the video smacked her hard on the side of the head. "Our little spy seems a bit distraught. You see my troops and I made the decision that her coconspirators in the village were guilty of aiding the enemy and carried out a death sentence." In a sickeningly sweet voice he added, "And that includes the baby that she was carrying. I understand it belonged to one of you. Such a shame. Treason is such a nasty business. We are looking forward to meeting her American friends, though. You see, she is refusing food or water, so time is short. She may get her wish and die rather soon."

As he was turning off the camera, Sara could be heard in the background yelling, "No, don't come."

The screen went blank and the colonel turned off the machine. The room was deathly silent. Charlie's head was in his hands. Suddenly he kicked over his chair and stormed out of the room.

Mack said, "I'll go," and started to follow Charlie.

Hector grabbed his arm. "No, give him a few minutes."

More silence followed. Finally Jonas said, "Her captors expect us to attempt a rescue. What's the word on that, Colonel? Have we been given the go ahead?"

"No," Colonel Ryan said, "I'm pushing for it, but there seems to be a lot of political two stepping going on among the brass. She was given the opportunity to leave and chose not to, and this accusation of spying is providing a reason not to go in and get her."

"Off the record," Jonas said, "we're going in whether you get permission or not."

"I understand, Jonas, and I'll do my best to get authorization. What's your timetable for coming up with a plan?"

"We'll have to get back to you on that, Colonel. I need to see that video again. Start prepping a flight just in case."

"I'll do what I can. I'll be back in an hour and let you know what progress I've made." After they had all left except for Jonas and Bob, the colonel added, "Make sure Grey knows how sorry I am about all of this."

"I will," Jonas said.

"I know you're not thinking about this yet, but if you do get her away from that maniac, she'll have to come with you back to the US."

"And?"

"She didn't want to come back before, so there must have been a reason. My understanding is that she has no family or friends here, no money, no place to live. That village was her home for seven years."

"We'll take care of her," said Jonas.

"Will she want that?" the colonel asked.

"Let's get her out first, and then we'll worry about that."

The colonel nodded, "I'll get back to you ASAP."

Mack and Hector had looked all over the command center for Charlie, but no luck. Charlie and Hector shared an apartment, so he and Mack decided to try there next. When they got to the apartment complex, there were MP trucks out in front and lots of people had gathered at the entrance.

"What's going on?" Mack asked Beau Dauber who was a member of another Unit team called Charlie Company and also lived in the same apartment building.

"Not sure. Something with Grey," he said.

"Should have known," Hector sighed.

Mack and Hector went up to the apartment where more people had gathered outside their open door. The apartment was in shambles, books torn, CDs and DVDs out of their cases, clothes everywhere, furniture toppled, lamps broken, food on the floor. In the corner, Charlie was sitting in a chair flanked by two MPs and staring blankly into space.

The MPs drew to attention when Mack and Hector approached. Mack asked, "What's the problem here, officer?"

"We got a complaint that there was a disturbance, and when we got here, we found this man destroying the apartment. He won't tell us his name or why he's here."

"Officer, I'm Sergeant Hector Williams and the man seated there next to you is Sergeant Charles Grey. We share this apartment, and I can assure you that this won't happen again."

"You don't want to press charges? He's destroyed most of your stuff."

Hector looked down at Charlie, "Are you done? Because if you're not done, I'm gonna let these nice MPs take you to the brig, which means you won't be able to take the… job we've been offered."

Before he could answer, Hector continued, "Later, you and I will talk about this mess, but for now, you just need to tell me whether or not you're done."

When Charlie looked up, the agony that Hector saw on his face was devastating, "Yeah, I'm done."

"All right then, Officer, I'm not going to press charges, and this will never happen again. I'd appreciate it if you would let us handle things from here."

"You're sure?" the MP asked.

Hector nodded his head.

"We'll just leave you with a warning, then, but if we ever have to come back for anything like this, you can be sure that charges will be filed."

Mack walked downstairs with the MPs to make sure they left and took the crowd that had gathered with them.

Hector stayed with Charlie, "I meant what I said, bro. If you can't keep yourself in check, I'm going to tell Jonas that you're not fit to go on this mission."

Charlie glanced up at Hector, "I would've had a family for the first time since my mother died, a family, Hector." He paused for a moment and then added, "She lost my baby… our baby."

"I know, man. I'm so sorry."

When Mack got back to the apartment, he pulled Hector aside. "Is this girl really worth all this? I mean how does Charlie even know the baby was his?"

The enraged look in Charlie's eyes told Hector that he'd overheard what Mack said. Hector moved quickly to get between them, but Charlie was too fast.

"You son of a bitch!" Charlie roared. He leaped out of the chair and landed a solid punch to Mack's jaw.

By the time Hector pulled Charlie off, he'd managed to get Mack down on the floor.

"So much for being done," Hector said as he shoved Charlie back into the chair.

"She was a virgin, you dick."

"Hey, Man, I'm sorry, but you know as well as I do that a virgin doesn't exactly fit the profile of most of the women you've been with," Mack said.

_Yeah, he knew. _

Charlie started to calm down a little, so Hector delivered an ultimatum. "Okay man, what's it gonna be?"

Charlie nodded. "I'll handle the mission. Don't say anything to Jonas or the colonel about what happened."

"Hey buddy," Mack said. "What do you mean? Nothing happened here." He gave Charlie a slap on the back. That was the least he could do to make up for what he'd said.

The three of them headed back to the command center where they found Bob and Jonas in "The Cave" in the middle of developing a rescue plan.

"Welcome back, gentlemen," said Jonas who noticed that his men looked a little more disheveled than they had when they'd left. "I don't think I want to know where you've been or what you've been up to." His attention went back to the screen. "Bob and I watched the recording several more times and we think we've come up with something."

Bob said, "It looks like Sara is being held right in her own village. This may even be her house. Take a look and see what you think."

"Yeah, I think that's it," said Hector. "Doesn't that look like the window that faces out toward the garden?" he asked Charlie, but when he turned around, Hector could see that Charlie wasn't looking at the video screen.

Bob chimed back in, "Since we're all familiar with the layout of the village, we should have an advantage. Also, Colonel Ryan told us earlier that it will be easier to get authorization for the mission if the powers that be see that North Korean troops have snuck across the Demilitarized Zone without provocation."

"Couldn't spying be considered provocation?" Hector asked.

"That was the hold up, gentlemen," the colonel said as he came back in the room," but the good news is that they've given you a go for the mission. After a lot of discussion, my superiors have decided that they don't believe Sara Franklin has done any spying. Wheels up in thirty minutes. Good luck."

Charlie desperately wanted to believe that Sara was all right, but images from that video had been replaying in his head throughout their ride to Korea. The loud vibration of the plane had served as a welcome buffer to some of the thoughts that had been bombarding Charlie's mind until Hector sat down next to him.

Charlie said, "We should've made her leave, bro."

"Us and what force of nature?" Hector asked.

Charlie smiled a little. "Yeah, she is stubborn."

Hector slapped him on the back. "Good luck with that when you bring her home."

Charlie just hoped he'd be able to bring her home. He gave Hector a half crooked smile and added, "We'll see."

Hector slapped him on the back and said, "Get some rest, buddy. We'll be landing before you know it."

There was a truck waiting for them when they landed. They made good time on their drive to the village, but they couldn't get there fast enough for Charlie. When they reached a hill overlooking the village, they used binoculars to survey the profound devastation. Most of the houses had been burnt. Belongings were strewn everywhere, and there were bodies. Charlie saw Chi Fung. His body was contorted and laying on the ground near the edge of the village. It looked like his throat had been cut. He wondered who would be cruel enough to do that to a frail, old man who would never have hurt anyone.

Sure enough, Sara's house was still standing, and they could see movement inside.

"Charlie, I'm leaving you on over-watch," Jonas said. Before Charlie had a chance to complain, Jonas added, "I'm not going to risk the safety of the team on your current state of mind."

Their plan was simple and they had gone over it repeatedly before their arrival, so they were ready. Each member of the team was responsible for one quarter of the village and the surrounding area. They split up and headed off in the direction of their quadrant. Knives and silencers were used to quietly take out the guards that had been placed around the perimeter. Their attack brought them into the center of the village simultaneously.

Jonas was about the enter Sara's house. He was using hand signals to direct his men. Hector would follow him in, and Sara would be his responsibility. Mack and Bob would come in from windows on either side of the house. They would take them by surprise and overwhelm them before they knew what happened. Jonas was just about to push the door open when he heard Charlie in his earpiece.

Something was bothering Charlie, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The mission seemed to be going smoothly, but something was nagging at the back of his mind. Maybe it was because he wasn't used to being on over-watch, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something. Charlie continued scanning the area through the night scope attached to his rifle. It took all his training to keep still and wait for something to happen, but he trusted his mates. Then it hit him.

"Abort, Snake Doc, Abort."

Jonas froze and then whispered into his mike, "We're ready to go in, Betty Blue. What's the problem?"

"Something's not right, Top," Charlie said.

"Everyone hold," Jonas murmured. "Explain."

"We know they expect a rescue attempt, so why has this been so easy?"

"Go on."

"The movement in the window is too regular for a human, same speed, same tempo, without change."

"So?"

"It's too precise, too… mechanical."

Jonas backed away from the door.

"And," Charlie added. "I've been catching some movement to the west of the village."

Jonas grabbed Hector and pulled him backward away from the door. "Dirt Diver, take over-watch. Look for movement to the west. Betty Blue, get down here."

When Charlie got to the house, he had the strongest urge to burst in and rescue Sara, but he knew that something was wrong. This was the type of situation that he constantly trained for, and he would need to use that training now to help Sara. He checked around the door and found wires connected to the top of the door. He turned to Jonas and said, "Booby trap." He'd guessed right.

"Cool Breeze," Jonas said, "check the window."

Bob went around to the side of the house and got as close as he could to the window without touching it. "Top," he said in his mike as he headed back to where they were waiting.

"Enlighten us, Cool Breeze," Jonas said.

"Nobody inside. Dark paper in roughly human shapes on wires moving back and forth and some kind of small engine powered by a car battery. Explosives in the ceiling, probably C4."

Charlie said, "They'd wanna be close enough to see it go up but far enough away to survive the blast."

"What's to the immediate west of the village?" Jonas asked.

Hector said, "There's a tool shed just inside the tree line west of the village."

"You get that, Dirt Diver?" Jonas asked.

"On it," he answered.

"All right," Jonas said, "At oh two hundred, let's make em believe they've succeeded."

Charlie was ready. He'd rigged the door with a length of rope and was far enough away that he could pull the door open and not get hit by the blast. The rest of the team was checking out the tool shed. He wanted to be with them because that's where they thought Sara would be, but he was needed here.

At exactly 2:00 am, Charlie pulled the rope. The explosion was spectacular. Jung-Su and his troops had come prepared to take out their entire team.

Bob and Hector were standing on either side of the tool shed door. As soon as the sound of the explosion reached them, whistling and cheering started inside and the door of the tool shed sprang open.

Charlie heard shots resonate through his earpiece, and then, "Two down. Clear… Clear… All Clear."

"Come on over here, Betty Blue," Jonas said.

Charlie sprinted for the shed. When he entered, he saw Hector leaning over Sara tending to her wounds. Relief was all he could feel until he saw her up close. She was thin, frail, and badly beaten. Swollen bruises were crisscrossed by trickles of blood oozing from cut and scrapes. Hector applied ointments that Charlie knew would sting and even put in an IV, but Sara's lips were white, and her drawn face was devoid of emotion.

She wouldn't look at Charlie.

"You shouldn't have come," she said in a voice so small he could barely hear it.

He wanted to touch her, to console her, but when he reached for her, she shied away and sunk deeper into herself.

Hector pulled Charlie aside. "I've called for a helicopter, and it should be here in a couple of hours. She may have internal injuries, but right now they don't seem life threatening. Most of the superficial wounds look like they'll heal. My concern is her emotional state. Between the loss of the baby and her surrogate family along with the number they did on her, she's going to have a tough time."

At that moment, Charlie saw Jonas out of the corner of his eye holding the man known only as Jung-Su, the leader who had narrated that damn video. The other two guards were dead.

"Don't do it, man," Hector said when he saw the look in Charlie's eyes.

Jonas added, "Our orders are to bring him in. He will be invaluable in gathering intel about the North."

But then Jung-Su said, "This must be the proud father."

Charlie launched himself at the man Jonas had in custody. Slowly the whole team turned their backs as Charlie repeatedly slammed his fists into the man's face and gut. Finally, breathing hard with arms almost too heavy to lift, Charlie stepped back. Jung-Su was left in a bloody lump lying on the ground.

Charlie knew enough about the human body to know just how and where to hit a man to cause pain, but not kill him. When Charlie looked at Sara, he saw that she had watched the whole thing, but her face still looked as impassive as before.

While they waited for the chopper, Mack, Jonas, and Bob buried the bodies of those who had been killed in the village. Jonas gave a medallion that Chi Fung had been wearing to Sara. Silently, she hung it around her neck, but didn't shed a tear. Charlie found her continuing lack of emotion to be disturbing.

Hector went on tending to Sara, while they waited for the helicopter that would take them to their plane. Sara still wouldn't let Charlie touch her, so when they heard the beating of the chopper blades, Hector carried her and put her on board.

"Thanks, Jonas," Charlie said.

He gave a short nod and said, "You would have done the same for any of us."

They both boarded the helicopter with Jung-Su in tow. The whole team tensed a little when Charlie sat down next to him and leaned over to whisper something in Korean. Jung-Su was quick to reply. Nobody understood what they said, but each man gave the other a deadly smile.

When they arrived in Seoul, they left Jung-Su with the South Korean military to face charges of running a military operation south of the Demilitarized Zone and killing several innocent villagers. The kidnapping and torture of Sara that caused the death of her baby would go unpunished, but she was safe and that's what mattered.

Jonas, Bob, and Mack boarded the military transport home, but Charlie and Hector stayed at the hospital in Seoul with Sara to wait for a medevac to take her back to the US.


	4. Chapter 4

"We can't take her to Kyrgyzstan!" Hector said.

"She's alone with nowhere to go. We can't leave her here!" Blue answered.

This debate had been going on for ten minutes, ever since Blue's phone had started beeping and he'd talked to someone named Colonel Ryan.

They could leave her on the street for all she cared. Sara was being discharged from the Seoul hospital where she'd been recovering. Blue and his team had brought her here after the rescue from her village. For a week, Blue had been talking about taking her home, but she didn't have a home, not anymore. That had all been lost when Jung-Su destroyed her village and her baby. She wished Blue had left her in that village to die.

Sara touched the medallion she still wore around her neck, the one that Chi Fung had worn as long as she'd known him. It was hers now, but she felt unworthy to wear it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the argument about her that Hector and Blue couldn't seem to settle.

"It's just a quick pick-up. What if we leave her on the plane?" Blue asked.

"It's against regulations," Hector said. "You know how much trouble we'd be in?"

"Regulations? Dude, how many times have we gotten around regulations?"

Sara could see that Hector was softening. "All right, all right, we'll tell the pilot that she's some kind of field expert that we need with us to complete the mission," Hector said.

Blue smiled. "Now you're talkin' my language." He gave Hector a pat on the back and started putting the few things she had into a bag. The hospital had provided her with necessities, and Blue had brought her some clothes to wear. She didn't know where he'd gotten them, but she had to admit, he was pretty good when it came to judging sizes. How many woman had he sized before?

"Sara, time to get dressed, so we can get outta here. We're going to be making a little detour before taking you home."

Home. Blue was talking about his home in the United States, a country Sara hadn't seen in more than seven years, a place where she had no family, no friends, no job, and no life.

He turned his back while she got dressed. "It'll be okay. Trust me," he said.

How could she trust him when she didn't even trust herself?

When they left the hospital, they took a taxi to the Seoul Airport. They boarded the one lone plane that sat in a secluded area off the back of the airport. Sara found it strange that the plane had no markings, but then she remembered what Blue and Hector did for a living.

There weren't any seats on the plane, but both sides were lined with benches. While Blue helped her get settled, Hector started an animated conversation with the pilot.

"She's an expert in terrorist negotiation," Hector lied.

The pilot wasn't buying it. "Sir, you know that civilians aren't allowed on board. I have my orders."

"What can we do so that you don't notice she's here?" Blue asked.

Hector added, "Would a case of Heineken do the trick?"

The pilot laughed, "You guys are really desperate, aren't you? All right, as long as she doesn't cause trouble, you've got a deal."

The plane motor started and Hector and Charlie sat on the bench on the opposite side of the plane. Sara turned away from them. Pretending to fall asleep was easier than pretending she was part of their conversation.

"She still won't talk?" Hector asked.

"Shhh."

"She can't hear us. She's asleep."

Charlie gently kissed her forehead, but she didn't move. "What am I gonna do if she doesn't come out of this?"

"Give her time, man. She's had a lot to deal with in the last few weeks." Hector groaned, "I'm just wondering how much more it's going to cost when the pilot learns we're leaving her with him while we go pick up our objective."

"Another case?"

"At least."

Just then, the plane took a steep, diving turn to the right. The pilot shouted, "We're taking fire."

"What?" Hector yelled. "This isn't supposed to be hostile territory."

"Tell that to the shooters," the pilot said as he started shouting status updates into the radio.

"Where?" Charlie asked looking out the window.

Before the pilot had a chance to answer, the engine coughed and died.

"We've been hit," the pilot cried. "We're going down. Crash positions, gentlemen."

Sara sat up straight and flashed Charlie a panicked look.

"It's okay," he said, but she didn't look convinced. He sat next to her and buckled them both in. His face was a close to hers as he could get it. "Put your head down and try to relax," he said with half a smile on his face. "We'll be fine." He hoped he sounded convincing.

Charlie glanced over at Hector.

"I know, man," Hector said. "I know."

The plane's wings screamed as they careened faster and faster toward the earth.

"Mayday, Mayday," the pilot said into the radio. He started reading their coordinates. "If anybody can hear, we're going down. Shots by unknown gunmen on the ground. Mayday, Mayday."

At the last minute, they lucked into a pocket of air, and the world became almost surreally silent. The pilot was able to bring the nose up enough to guide the plane into a shallow glide just before they hit the ground. All three passengers were jolted violently forward on impact. Loose items flew all around mixed in with parts from the plane that had become dislodged.

The last thing Charlie thought before being hit in the head by flying debris was that he wished he could touch Sara and hear her voice just one more time.


	5. Chapter 5

Birds, the sound of birds was what woke her. At first she thought she was at home and birds were chirping outside her window, but then she remembered that her home was gone.

The plane… Blue and Hector… the crash. She opened her eyes. Everything was upside down. She was upside down and hanging from her seat belt. Blue and Hector were on the ceiling, which she now realized was the floor. Hector was starting to stir, but Blue wasn't moving.

Aches and a couple of sharp pains made themselves known when she tried to unbuckle her belt. Once it was loose, she fell straight down and landed with a thud right next to Blue. He still wasn't moving.

"Are you all right?" Hector mumbled as he started to regain his senses.

For now at least, she thought she was okay, so she nodded.

He groaned and yanked a small flashlight from the pack on his belt. He ran the light over her. "You've got some new bruises to go with your old ones, but I don't see anything more serious than that."

Then he rolled over to examine Blue. It wasn't long before he found a bloody gash on his forehead. He immediately started checking his vital signs.

"Pulse is a little fast, but breathing seems strong," he said. "Charlie." No response.

Her heart began racing in her chest. Not Blue too! Were her sins so profound that everyone she loved had to pay for them?

"Charlie," Hector said a little louder. This time he moved his head and muttered something unintelligible.

Sara gently ran her hand over his cheek. His eyes were still closed, but he smiled. "Ummm, Sara," he said.

"All right, Charlie," Hector said. "It's time to open your eyes."

After several attempts, Blue finally got his eyes open. Hector took the flashlight and shined it into them.

"Dude," Blue said, "turn out the lights, got a mean hangover here."

"He's disoriented," Hector said. "He might have a concussion. Let's see if we can get him out of the plane."

Blue helped some, but Sara and Hector did most of the work. They laid him on the ground a safe distance away, and Hector went back to check on the pilot.

Blue said. "You're Sara, aren't you?"

She nodded. At least he knew who she was.

"Everything's fuzzy around the edges," he lamented. "Can't get a hold of anything in my head. You wanna tell me what's going on? Oh wait you're not talking to me are you?"

She looked down and shook her head.

"Pilot's dead," Hector said as he limped back from the plane. "How are you feeling, Charlie?"

"Man, how much did we drink last night? I've got the worst headache."

"No drinking," Hector said. "We were in a plane wreck, remember?" Hector started to clean the gash on Blue's head.

Blue grimaced. "Take it easy, man."

Hector continued as though Blue hadn't said anything. "It's gonna need some stitches. The radio's dead and my phone's not getting a signal. We may be here a while, Sara, so I need you to bring everything out of the plane that we might be able to use. Can you do that?"

Sara nodded and headed back into the plane. There wasn't much there. It was obviously not built for comfort, but she did find a couple of large backpacks that she'd seen Hector and Blue bring on board. She put them outside the door and then braved the scene in the cockpit. She gagged when she saw that a large branch from a tree had pierced the cockpit window and the pilot. When she looked away, she found a thermos that had fallen to the ceiling along with another large pack. She took those out also and carried everything back to Hector and Blue.

Most of the bleeding from the gash on Blue's head had stopped by the time she got back, and Hector was getting out needle and thread from his medical kit. Blue seemed a little more focused.

"Sara, open the packs and find a hand gun. Give it to Charlie while I'm stitching him up. The people who shot us down are going to be looking for us, so we need to be ready."

"I don't know, man. I'm seeing some doubles. I don't want to shoot one of you."

"Would you rather she has the gun?" Hector asked pointing to Sara.

Sara shook her head and started digging around in the pack for a gun. She found one and handed it to Blue who immediately checked the magazine to make sure it was loaded. It dropped to his side as soon as he was done. This whole ordeal had taken its toll on him.

There were things she could do to help. As soon as Hector started stitching Blue's head, she began to look for natural supplies for making a small shelter.

"Don't go far," Hector said.

She shook her head.

The plane had knocked down several branches from this part of the forest when it wrecked. She fashioned the roof of her shelter from a few of the larger branches she found and weaved together. She hooked her roof in a couple of nearby trees that weren't very far apart. Then she found some leaves to line a floor for her make-shift shelter.

"Your girl's got some skills," Hector said as he put a bandage over Blue's stitches and then helped him over to the shelter that Sara had built.

Blue looked like he wanted to kiss her, but he must have thought better of it because he just smiled at her instead.

"We can't stay here long, Hector," he said.

"I know, but you need a little rest and the less you move the better."

"I have a concussion, don't I?"

Hector nodded, "Probably."

"You're limping, buddy. What's wrong with your leg?"

"Sprained ankle. Could be worse. I'll manage."

Blue nodded and propped his head up on one of the trees. "This headache's a bitch."

Sara gently rubbed his head while carefully avoiding the bandage covering his stitches.

Blue's eyes closed, and he started to relax. "That feels so good," he said.

"It looks like you're in good hands," Hector said. "I'm going to scout around a little and see if I can figure out exactly where we are."

Blue pulled a phone out of his pack and tossed it to Hector. "Keep trying to get a signal."

Hector nodded and limped off.

Sara rubbed Blue's head a few more minutes before he stopped her. "If you keep doing that, something besides my head is going to start throbbing."

She nodded.

"We're going to get out of this," he said. "Don't be scared."

She wasn't scared for herself. It didn't matter what happened to her. She was scared for him. His warm, brown eyes tugged at her heart. He was hurting. What harm could one little kiss do? She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against his. That was all she intended, but the kiss intensified and became passionate, sensual. When she realized her mistake, she pulled away, but it was too late. A little crack had opened in the façade she had been so closely guarding.

"I've got a new ache to match the one in my head." Blue groaned. "Why did you do that?"

She just shook her head and turned away from him. She loved him, now more than ever, but they were never going to be together.


	6. Chapter 6

Charlie was stunned. She'd kissed him. Maybe it was the concussion talking, but he thought he was going to get to the truth about Sara's silence when Hector emerged from the woods.

"Looks safe for now," he said. "We'll rest here a couple of hours and then move on."

Charlie kept looking at Sara wondering if she would let him touch her again. She seemed afraid, but not from the plane crash. She was afraid of him, and he didn't understand why.

Hector said, "Let's dump these packs and see what we've got to work with."

Charlie's and Hector's packs were loaded with almost the exact same items: weapons, ammunition, and tools along with first aid supplies. There were also some emergency rations and a couple of canteens. The pilot's pack had a pistol and a flare gun, but also contained some candy bars, a bottle of whiskey, and a recent copy of _Playboy_ magazine.

Hector just shook his head. "Pilots," he said. "Too bad this one didn't get to enjoy his little stash."

The thermos had a dent in it from the crash, but otherwise it was intact. It was filled with coffee. They each decided to have a cup while it was still hot. The sun had sunken below the horizon, and it was starting to turn cool, so the heat from the coffee was especially welcome.

Charlie and Hector were dressed for their mission, but Sara's clothes weren't made for the cool air. They built a very small fire in the middle of the shelter. Just enough to keep them warm, but not enough for anyone to spot who might be looking for them. Charlie tried wrapping his arms around Sara to keep her warm and close. To his surprise, she didn't resist, and before long, she fell asleep.

Something loud woke her up. A shot. Then another. Blue already had his gun in hand.

Hector came running out of the woods. "Let's move," he yelled. "They're not far behind."

Blue was slow to get up and swayed a little. When he was finally steady on his feet, he managed to get a pack onto his back. Sara and Hector each grabbed a pack and threw them on their backs. They ran into the woods away from their pursuers.

"Who's after us?" Blue asked.

"Couldn't tell. Probably the same ones who shot us down. I went for a little walk to scout the area and felt some shots whizz past me. Didn't stay to find out who was doing the shooting." Hector was winded and struggling with his ankle. "We can't keep up this pace for long."

Sara was still weak and reached her limit quickly. Luckily they ran across a stream and stopped there to rest. Blue pulled his phone out of his pack. "Still no signal," he said.

"Damn," he groaned as he held his head in his hands and squeezed his eyes shut. "Let's follow this stream and see where it leads us."

Hector nodded, "It might cover our trail."

They both got up gingerly and led Sara up the shallow stream.

After an hour, they came across a deserted village.

Sara froze.

Charlie went back to get her when he realized she wasn't following them anymore. This village looked very similar to the one where she'd lived for the past seven years.

"I see it too, Sara, but this isn't your village, just one that looks like it." He couldn't get her to move. "We can't stay here," but she didn't hear him. She just stared. Charlie watched as Sara's hand reached up and touched the medallion that hung around her neck before she started walking like a zombie into the empty village.

Hector came back to see what was holding them up. "Charlie, let's go," he said, but then he saw Sara. "What's wrong with her?" He got a good look at the village where they had stopped. "Wow, it's not exactly the same, but the resemblance is uncanny," he added.

"And it's doing something to her," Charlie said.

"Charlie, we've gotta move. Neither one of us is strong enough right now to carry her. If you can't get her to come with us, we'll have to leave her here."

"I'm not leaving her, Hector. You go on if you want to, but I'm staying with her."

"Well then, I guess we're all staying. I'll stand guard here while you work your magic."

Charlie followed Sara into the village. He had to figure out some way to get through to her. All of their lives depended on that now. He just wished he could see inside her head.

"Sara, talk to me." No response. He tried something else. "You're risking our safety, not just your own, but mine and Hector's too."

That seemed to get through because she finally turned and looked at him.

For the first time since they'd rescued her in Korea, he saw tears in Sara's eyes. "Please go, just leave me here." Her voice was rough from disuse, but it was almost the exact same thing she'd said the last time he heard her speak. It had to be important.

"I couldn't then, and I can't now," he said.

He wanted to console her, but she backed away.

Tears trickled down her cheeks. "I'm not your mission anymore," she croaked.

When had he stopped thinking of her as a mission? It was when he realized how he felt about her. Was that the key?

"I love you, Sara."

"No!" Tears streaked her face.

Whatever she was struggling with had been locked inside her so tight, it had kept her from saying a single word for days.

Her whole body was trembling. "I.. I told him things. Things about you and your team. Things about other military missions in the village."

Jung-Su, he thought. This all came back to that asshole.

"I doubt if you knew much important information. You never use the right call signs anyway. Besides, you were beaten, Sara. Nobody blames you for…" but before he could finished, she interrupted him.

She was crying so hard, she'd fallen to her knees. He could barely understand her.

"There were other things, things about us, what we did together. He wanted… details. He threatened Chi Fung, so I told him about that night with you. Then he told Chi Fung right in front of me, but he distorted what I said and made it all sound so… ugly. I wanted to explain, to make him understand, but Jung-Su wouldn't let me. You should have seen the look in Chi Fung's eyes; he was disgusted with what he heard, and in the end it was all for nothing. He killed him anyway."

Sara tore off the medallion, the one she'd worn on her neck since Chi Fung died. "I don't deserve to wear this," she cried and threw it into the woods.

Charlie watched her precious medallion tossed away like a piece of trash. He wanted to stop her, but there was more_. _She had to get it all out, or she'd never be able to let it go.

"I kept putting my arms in front of my stomach, and he guessed what I was trying to protect. He kicked me hard and got some sort of perverse thrill when he saw me bleed. He killed our baby just for fun." Gut wrenching sobs wracked her body. "I'm so sorry, Blue."

He understood now why she wouldn't talk, why she wouldn't let him touch her. She'd been holding on to all of this, afraid to let it out.

He was going to kill that son of a bitch.

At that moment, Hector came hobbling up from the stream. "They're coming."


	7. Chapter 7

The men who were after them had caught up. This was her fault.

"Leave me!" she cried, but it was too late. They were surrounded by men carrying some oversized rifles and handguns.

One of the men stepped up as spokesman for the others. "Put down your weapons," he commanded.

They were outnumbered, so Blue and Hector did as he asked.

"We shot down your plane over our airspace. Surrender and admit to your crimes."

Blue said, "We were in unrestricted airspace. You're the ones who have committed a crime."

The man who was speaking seemed to be the leader of the group and was getting more and more agitated. He put a gun to Blue's head. "You are Americans, and your plane had no markings. Admit it. You are spies!"

Blue was in trouble. He was going to be killed if she didn't do something. She took a couple of deep breaths, wiped her eyes, and said, "These men aren't spies."

"Sara," Blue whispered, "Don't."

But she continued. "They're my bodyguards escorting me on a sightseeing trip in your country."

That didn't seem to impress anyone, so she changed her tack. "I am royalty… a… queen of my country… Zurr… Zurranthian." Hector rolled his eyes, and Sara thought sure she heard Blue groan. "My plane had no markings because I didn't want my whereabouts to be discovered. Your guns fired on us without warning."

The leader stared at her. He might have been trying to figure out if she was really a queen or if she was just crazy, but he was distracted enough to pull his gun away from Blue's head.

It was all they needed.

Hector easily overpowered the man holding a gun on him and Blue snapped around, took the leader's gun, and pointed it at his head. "We will kill this man if you don't lower your weapons," Blue yelled to the others who still had guns pointed in their direction.

Whirring helicopter blades drew everyone's attention to the sky. Two army helicopters hovered overhead shining their powerful lights on the scene below. Some of the men scattered into the woods. Others listened to a voice that bellowed from the speaker of the helicopter and told the men still wielding arms to drop their weapons. Those that were left complied and the choppers landed in a clearing next to the village. Several military looking types got off one of the helicopters and started rounding up guns and ragtag soldiers.

The men who got off the other helicopter were members of Blue's team. Sara always had trouble remembering their call signs, but she thought the one with the short, red hair was called Duck Dunker. He said, "Looks like we saved you boys from another international incident."

"Hey man, we had this one under control," Blue announced. "How did you find us?"

The one she thought was called Sea Breeze said, "The signal from your plane's emergency beacon began transmitting almost immediately after you crashed. We were en route to meet you in Bishkek and were contacted when you missed your check-in window, so we started searching. Once we found the plane, we tracked you here.

The team leader, Snake Oil added, "There's a cleanup team at the crash site, and the body of the pilot will be sent home to his family. Is everyone here all right?"

Hector pointed at Blue, "Concussion," and then he pointed at himself, "Sprained ankle. The Queen of Zurranthian just has a few bruises."

"Who?"

Hector just smiled, shook his head, and climbed aboard the helicopter.

"Betty Blue, what is Sara Franklin doing here?"

"Saving our lives, boss," Blue said.

"I can't wait to read that report," he said.

Blue put his arm around Sara and said, "Should I bow, Your Highness?"

She smiled a little as they boarded the helicopter.

The flight back to the base from which the team had been deployed was a noisy one with Hector recounting their adventure while the other team members pelted him with questions.

Blue kept his arm around Sara and held her close. She laid her head on his shoulder. They were happy to sit together quietly and let the noise drown out their memories as they contemplated what the next few days might bring.


	8. Chapter 8

When they finally arrived at a military facility, the doctor there wrapped Hector's ankle and told Blue to take it easy for a week or two. Sara's bruises would just take time to heal. Snake Man, Blue said his real name was Jonas, took Hector and the rest of the team on to Bishkek to finish their mission. Blue stayed behind because of his concussion and because of Sara.

They had been given permission to return to the US, so Blue made arrangements for them to take a commercial airliner. He couldn't seem to touch her enough. He would put his arm around her or caress her face. Even during the taxi ride to the airport, he held her hand. It felt so good to be close to him, but Sara knew it couldn't last.

The flight was long, but she didn't mind. She marveled at the changes in airliners since the last time she'd flown on one seven years ago, and she reveled in every minute she had with Blue. He seemed content to just be close to her and not press issues that would become important soon enough.

A car was waiting when they landed to take them to Fort Griffith. Charlie didn't think Sara should stay at his apartment, so he called Molly Blane, Jonas's wife, on the way. Molly was thrilled to have "Charlie's girl" staying with them. She told him that Sara was welcome to stay as long as she liked and immediately made up her daughter's old bedroom.

When they arrived at the Blane's, Charlie was reluctant to let Sara go. "Molly's a great person," he said.

Sara wrapped her arms around him and laid the top of her head against his chest. "Everything will work out." Charlie said. When she looked up at him, her expression told him that she didn't believe it. He knocked on Molly's door.

"I love you" was all she said.

When Molly opened the door, they parted. "Sara, this is Molly Blane. Molly, this is Sara Franklin. Please take good care of her."

"She'll be fine," but as Molly took her inside, Sara looked back at him with a face that had good-bye written all over it. He almost stopped the door from closing, but he was so tired and his head hurt. Whatever had to be said could wait until they were both a little more rested.

When he got back to his empty apartment, he took a quick shower and fell into bed.

He was awakened by the beeping of his phone. "Go for Grey," he said. He listened for a minute before it sunk in that he was to report to "The Cave." He checked the clock on his bed. He'd been asleep for fifteen hours. His next thought was of Sara. He needed some time with her. Surely he wouldn't be sent out on a mission with a concussion, would he? He got dressed quickly and drove to HQ.

Colonel Ryan was waiting for him when he got there. "Charlie we have a pressing need for your expertise in explosives. There is a situation in a school in Dallas."

"Sir, I'm not cleared for active duty, concussion."

"This will be observe and advise only. You are not to engage."

"Yes, sir."

"Plane's waiting."

He was rushed by car to the tarmac, and the plane took off immediately.

He called Molly's house from the air, but Sara was still asleep. "Tell her I'll be gone for a while, but I'll see her when I get back."

"I understand, Charlie. I'll explain it to her."

"She's been through a lot, Molly."

Getting Sara back on her feet was a big project, but if anyone could handle it, it would be Molly Blane.

"Just leave it to me," she said.

"Thanks." He shut off his phone and felt better than he had in days.

Sara woke up in a strange bed, in a strange house. Mrs. Blane had laid out some clothes for her. Soap, shampoo, deodorant and a toothbrush were all left out for her in the bathroom. She took a shower and got dressed.

The smells coming from downstairs enticed her into the kitchen. By the time she got there, her mouth was watering and her stomach was rumbling.

"Good morning," Molly said when she saw Sara come into the kitchen. "I see you found the things I left out for you. My daughter is about your size."

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Blane."

"Please, you have to call me Molly. Have some breakfast." As she handed Sara the plate, Molly sat down at the table. "Charlie is going to be gone for a while on a mission. You understand that you can't tell anyone about that?"

This was what she'd been expecting ever since Blue left her on Molly's doorstep like an orphan baby in a basket. "He won't be back for me."

"You might be right, Sara. There have been more than a few women for Charlie, but I bet you knew that already."

Sara's throat was starting to close, so she just nodded. Molly got up from the table to start cleaning the kitchen.

"On the other hand," Molly said, "I don't believe that Charlie would bring you here if he wasn't coming back, and I saw the way he looked at you."

Sara glanced up.

"He tells me you've been through a lot, but he hasn't had it easy either. Charlie's special. All these men are. They have to be to do the job that they do. On a regular basis, they make impossible choices and see things nobody should ever see," Molly said.

"Yes, I was one of their missions."

"What they need from a woman is different than the average man. Take Charlie for example; how long do you think his feelings would last if he were always coming home from tough missions to a needy woman filled with self-pity?"

Sara felt tears welling up in her eyes. What Molly was telling her was exactly what she feared.

Molly sat back down across the table from her. "Do you love him?"

Through her tears, Sara looked Molly straight in the eye and answered without hesitation, "Yes, very much."

Molly smiled. "Are you willing to fight for what you might have with him?"

That was the question Sara had been asking herself. It was time to make a decision.

"Where do I start?"

That was just what Molly had been waiting to hear. "First I've got a psychologist friend named Dr. James Wilem. He doesn't usually take on civilian clients, but I called in a favor. You've got an appointment this afternoon."

Sara was stunned. "You were awfully confident of the choice I would make."

"That part was easy, Sara. Charlie would never fall for a woman that wasn't strong enough to fight. Now the next thing we need is to get you a job. What can you do?"


	9. Chapter 9

A month. What had started out as a mission involving explosives in a Dallas school had led to the pursuit and capture of an antigovernment militia using bombs in schools to get publicity for their cause. He ended up being part of a month-long task force consisting of the ATF and the Texas Rangers, so much for not engaging.

It wasn't easy, but Charlie had kept his mind on the mission. Now that he was on his way home, though, he couldn't help but think about Sara. He missed her.

When he arrived at the Blane's and knocked, Jonas answered the door.

"Hey, Jonas. I… uh… wanted to see Sara. Is she here?"

"Molly," he yelled. "Come take care of this boy at the door."

When Molly got to the door, she asked the question that she had been dying to ask for almost a month. "Charlie, would you take Sara out on a date tomorrow night, maybe dinner at a nice restaurant?"

"Okay, but can I see her now?"

"Tomorrow. Call about the time. See you then." And with that, the door slammed in his face. Not the reception that he'd been hoping for, but he'd waited this long. He could wait another day.

"Ladies, we've done a brilliant job if I do say so myself," said Molly. She and the other Unit wives had been fixing up Sara all day.

"Can I see now?" Sara asked.

"Not yet," said Kim, Bob Brown's wife. "Try again to walk on those shoes. You look like you're marching. Take smaller steps."

"How does anybody walk on heels this high? I'll never be able to get the hang of them by the time Blue gets here, and I don't want to make him wait."

"Oh, honey," said Tiffy, Mack Gerhardt's wife, "Sometimes the best thing you can do is to make them wait. It's good for their souls."

"Well, I don't want to wait," Sara said. "Maybe I just shouldn't wear these shoes."

"They make your legs look great," Kim said.

Without a moment's thought she said, "Okay, you talked me into wearing them."

"Walk toward the mirror and you can see how you look," Tiffy said.

Sara was astounded. "Is that me?"

"One hundred percent," said Molly. "Sweetheart, I'm so proud of what you've accomplished in just a few weeks. You should be proud of yourself." She gave her the kind of hug that Sara had missed getting from her mother. Then they all hugged her.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Molly."

The doorbell rang.

When the other women left ahead of them, Sara took Molly aside. "If I don't come home tonight, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Molly hugged her again. "If you need us, you know where we are. Now go and have fun.

Jonas answered the door. "Thank God," he said.

"It's just me," said Charlie.

"Women, in and out of my house all day. I'm hoping when you leave, they go with you."

"I came to get just one woman."

Jonas threw up his hands and said, "Come on in and sit down."

By the time she made it downstairs, Sara was a bundle of nerves. Whatever made her think she could pull this off?

But then she saw him.

Every minute she had endured prepping and primping that day was worth it because of the look she saw on his face. He admired her from the top of her head, all the way down to her pink toenails that were peeking out of her sandals.

Kim, Tiffy, and Molly were watching what was happening from the kitchen doorway, and their whispers were getting louder.

By now, Jonas had had enough. "Betty Blue, new mission. Get this girl out of my house."

"You got it, boss."

When they got to his car, he stopped and turned her around so she was facing him. "You are beautiful."

She felt herself blushing and wondered if her cheeks matched her toenails.

"And you are incredibly handsome in that blue suit," she said. She was feeling like the dangerous woman who had made love to him in her little village in Korea. "Maybe we should skip dinner," she said.

"Oh no, I've waited too long for this. Besides, I want to show you off." He pulled her close and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

When she opened her eyes, he was holding something in his hand. It was Chi Fung's medallion.

"Blue, where did you find this?" she cried. "I threw it away."

"I went back to get it right after the rest of the team got to the village. I was just keeping it until you were ready to wear it again." He put it around her neck and her hand was drawn to the cool metal.

"Thank you." She was genuinely touched.

He took her hand in his and said, "Let's go on our date."


	10. Chapter 10

During dinner, Sara told Blue about seeing Dr. Wilem and the job she'd taken at Fort Griffith as a Korean translator. Molly had even found a small house that was up for auction that she might be able to afford.

He told her more about his life before joining the army. She knew about the death of his mother when he was a teenager, but he also told her about the gang he joined and lived with after she died. Trouble followed him until he joined the army to avoid being arrested. Molly was right when she said his life hadn't been an easy one. It made her love the lonely, confused boy he'd once been as much as the man he was today.

The time went so fast that Sara didn't realize how long they'd been there. Dinner was over, but she didn't know where they would go from here.

He paid the check and walked her to his car. He leaned up against her and pressed her back against the door. The kiss he gave her was like the ones she remembered. They made her head spin and her eyes go cloudy.

"We'd better go, or I won't make it out of the parking lot," he said.

"Would that be so bad?"

"Oh, I remember you," he said.

By the time they got back to the apartment he shared with Hector, her hair was falling out of what seemed like hundreds of pins, and he had lipstick on his collar. They barely made it to his bedroom before clothes started flying everywhere. When they hit the bed, he stopped.

"I promise, this isn't my first time," she said.

He laughed, but then got serious. "Are you sure about this? About us?"

"I love you, Blue. At this moment, nothing would make me happier."

Blue made sure that being with him that night was even better than the first time they were together, and in the morning, she snuggled up against him wishing that their date would never end.

She felt like she'd come full circle. She'd come home.

There was a knock on the bedroom door. "Hey, Charlie, you going to the gym this morning?"

It was Hector.

"Damn it," Charlie whispered, "I'm not sure if I locked the door. We were in such a hurry last night."

Sara quickly scooted down under the covers just in time for Hector to open the door.

Sara smiled to herself._ What mischief can I get into under here? _She started dragging her fingers up higher and higher on the inside of Blue's leg.

"Uh, no, no, no, I don't think so, Hector."

She was having so much fun.

Hector started noticing clothes lying on the floor that obviously didn't belong to Charlie. "How was your date last night?" he asked.

_What if I touch him right… here?_

"Ummmm, fine… good… I mean great. "

"Okay," he said with a smile, "I'll see you later," but as he closed the door, from under the covers, he heard, "Bye, Hector."

He laughed and then heard Charlie say, "You are dangerous," followed by shrieks and giggles.

Hector was thrilled to see how happy Charlie was.

"What was so urgent that you needed to talk with me this early in the morning?" Jonas asked. Colonel Ryan had gotten him out of bed at two thirty and told him to meet him at "The Cave."

"There's been a development in South Korea," the colonel answered.

"Oh," Jonas said, "and it couldn't wait until a decent hour in the morning?"

"Jung-Su has escaped from the custody of the South Koreans and has headed back to the North."

After pausing for a few moments, Jonas asked, "Have you told Charlie?"

The colonel said, "No, Snake Doc, I thought I'd leave that to you."

"Thanks," Jonas said sarcastically.

_**I hope those of you who have read my story enjoyed it. I had so much fun writing it. As you can see, I left Charlie and Sara's story open for a sequel. **_

_**I appreciate the feedback that I've received. It's wonderful just knowing that others are actually reading something I wrote. **_

_**Thanks to the creators, writers, and actors of "The Unit" whose work on that show made writing a story like this one a breeze – a cool breeze.**_


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